Decision Due On New School For West Lulworth

A decision is due to be made today on plans to build a new school at West Lulworth.

The designs have been described by one resident as completely out of place and totally inappropriate for an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Nicholas Cole who lives near the current primary isn't impressed.

"It looks like a shed which you would find on a retail park or an industrial estate, and nothing which is in keeping with the village of West Lulworth with its Purbeck Stone and Thatched roofs."

He says Dorset County Council has chosen not to redevelop the current school despite on offer by the Weld Estate to sell them land around the site.

In response a spokesperson for Dorset County Council told Wessex FM:

"The design of the new building conforms to a standardised modern plan that ensures delivery of the project to a fixed budget. It provides environmentally sustainable buildings that are efficient to operate which means schools are spending less on heating and maintaining their buildings allowing their resources to concentrate on education."

"A number of different locations have been considered and details shared with the community. The proposed location has been agreed upon from an operational and environmental perspective. Attempting to build upon the existing site would disrupt the school too much with the school having to move off site whilst works were undertaken. It would also be more expensive to construct and would not necessarily deliver what is needed in terms of appropriate or usable provision due to the topography of the land behind the existing school. It would also lead to the loss of the existing school building as it is not suitable to bring up to appropriate standards and could not be retained along side a new building of a appropriate size which is now required."